Hey guys, I'm just wondering if there are any specific excercises that will help me to strengthen my legs for ground fighting? I'm a strong guy for my size, yet when I'm on the floor my legs feel like they could be stronger, I really struggle to keep someone in my guard when I'm on the bottom because I can't keep my kegs squeezed together. Are there any specific strength drills to improve this, or do you get the strength from sparring?

I'd reckon a lot of it is simply technique and experience built through rolling.

However, I would say that the motion of having someone in your guard would use more hamstring (back of the thigh) than quadricep (front of the thigh), since you're "pulling" them in with your legs. So if you're really looking for some strength training ideas to help you in that position, I'd definitely look towards strengthening the hamstrings.

Heavy deadlifts are always good, and basically one of the best hamstring/strength training movements. Beyond good ol' deadlifts, you can look at things like glute-ham raises, leg curls, good mornings, or power cleans.

It doesn't hurt to also strengthen the quadricep though, especially since you also use the opposing muscle to some degree when doing a heavy compound lift. So by squatting and doing lunges, you're still working the hamstring at least a very little bit.

Just from the top of my head I would imagine that sumo deadlifts could be useful. They strengthen the thigh adductors a lot as well as the hamstrings. Or sumo squats if you want to shift the focus towards the quads.

Squats, deadlifts and lunges are great leg exercises but if you want something more specific then try these. Get a resistance band and tie it around both ankles and then walk sideways for around 5-10 metres there and back while keeping tension on the band at all times. Or lie on your back with your legs in the air and hold a heavy medicine ball between your legs and squeeze it as hard as you can for 20-30 seconds. Put it down rest and then repeat. Both are great exercises for hitting the muscles used when holding someone in guard.